Changes in Shashi Tharoor due to understanding people's interests: Suresh Gopi
Thrissur (Kerala), Jun 20 (PTI): Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi on Friday said that Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has to decide whether he wants to join the BJP and the changes seen in him were the outcome of understanding the people's interests.
The Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism also said that worshipping Bharat Mata was akin to worship of the goddess earth.
Gopi was responding to reporters' queries regarding Tharoor and the ongoing Bharat Mata-related row between Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and the state government.
On queries regarding whether Tharoor would join the BJP, the union minister said that he cannot act as a "catalyst" for it as the Congress MP has to decide whether he wants to join the saffron party.
When he was asked whether there was any change in Tharoor's stance, Gopi said that it was not a mere change.
"It was a necessity desired by the people. It is a change that has come from understanding the people's interests," the BJP leader said.
Regarding the practice of appointment of personal staff by the ministers of the ruling government, Gopi said that not only did he disagree with it, he was totally opposed to it.
He contended that while various other pensions were not being paid, those appointed as personal staff for a couple of years were getting all kinds of benefits and huge salaries, which was "wrong".
"That is wrong. Let them (personal staff) be paid salaries for their work. But giving them all the other benefits, that should be banned," Gopi said.
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ADM responds in Hindi: U'khand HC asks if person who can't speak English control executive position
Nainital, Jul 26 (PTI): The Uttarakhand High Court has asked two top officials of the state to find out whether an officer who has no knowledge of English can effectively control an executive position after an additional district magistrate responded in Hindi during the hearing of a PIL.
When the division bench of Chief Justice Guhanathan Narendar and Justice Alok Mahra asked why he chose Hindi instead of English, the official said while he could understand the language he was unable to speak it fluently.
At this, the bench asked the State Election Commissioner and the Chief Secretary to find out whether an officer of ADM (Additional District Magistrate) level, who has no knowledge of English, can effectively control an executive position.
The ADM concerned is also the electoral registration officer of Nainital.
The high court asked the state election commissioner and the Chief Secretary to appear before it via video conferencing at the next hearing of the PIL on July 28 to respond to the query.
The situation arose during the hearing of the PIL questioning the inclusion of names of outsiders in the voter list for panchayat elections in Budhlakot gram sabha of Nainital district.
Taking a strict stance on the issue, the high court questioned the State Election Commission on the criteria used for the inclusion of such individuals in the voter list.
The court asked on what basis these individuals were identified as residents of the area.
The election officer, who appeared personally before the court, informed that the names were identified based on the family register.
However, the court observed that under the Panchayati Raj Act, birth and death certificates are considered more important documents than the family register.
So far, more than 25 petitions challenging various issues related to the panchayat elections have been filed. Notably, Akash Bora, a resident of Budhlakot, filed the PIL stating that 82 names in the village's voter list belonged to people from outside the area, most of whom are from the state of Odisha and other places.
When he complained to the SDM, a fact-finding committee was constituted, which found that 18 individuals listed were indeed outsiders.
However, even after the final voter list was released, the names of these 18 individuals were not removed.
After filing the PIL, the petitioner also submitted a list of 30 more such individuals to the court.
However, despite repeated complaints, no action has been taken, the PIL said.
The list includes names of outsiders from places such as Haldwani, Nainital, Odisha, Delhi and Haridwar.
